Deadline
by xxcrazycallyxx
Summary: Ginny is a reporter for the Daily Prophet and needs an interesting story to get on the front page. Draco Malfoy, doing a life sentence in Azkaban, is suddenly up for re-trial. Could this be Ginny's big break or lead her onto a path of something bigger?
1. Chapter 1

**Disclaimer - I own nothing.**

**Yes, I started another story. And no, I haven't abandoned the others.**

Ginny squinted down at the photographs. She was absolutely speechless; this was not at all what she had been expecting when Colin ran into the office this morning, excitedly waving a file in her face. She turned her head slightly to the left – nope, that didn't help either. Colin was currently standing over her shoulder, shaking with laughter and looking extremely happy with himself.

"Colin, how on earth did you get these?" Ginny turned her head to the right and squinted even more at the picture in her hands.

"Now, that would be telling." Colin picked up one of the photographs, his eyes wandering over the picture with a certain smugness that was well deserved, in Ginny's opinion.

"Oh, I can't wait till these get published! It will serve her bloody right. She was an absolute ogre to me last week," Ginny laughed as she dropped the photographs onto her desk and stared at the small pile with a cheeky grin.

"Well, I'm glad you like them. I could have made thousands of Galleons on these babies but, like the good friend I am, I decided to let you have your revenge. It's about time somebody put Cho Chang back in her place," Colin said with determination, his eyes glinting on the stack of newly developed photographs.

Ginny leant back in her chair and glanced around her little grey cubicle. She had tried to brighten it up the best she could during the six years she'd worked at the _Daily Prophet_. On one side there was a collage dedicated to her family and friends, pictures and drawings from her nieces and nephews, newspaper clippings of various family members' successes. And directly opposite was the Wall of Shame. Grinning, she grabbed one of Colin's photos and pinned it up next to the others.

The _Daily Prophet_ office was alive with witches and wizards quickly moving from one cubicle to the next. There was always something happening, people rushing from one colleague to another, hurrying to meet their deadlines. It was a great feeling. Ginny was in charge of her own column, Ginny's Gossip. It was one of the most successful columns in the paper due to her relationships with famous witches and wizards, and well-known faces such as Harry Potter, the youngest ever Head of the Auror Department; Ron Weasley, Keeper for they Chudley Cannons; Padma Patil, co-founder of the W.W.V.S; and Luna Lovegood, editor of _Witch Weekly_.

Ginny was the best when it came to gossip. She knew what her readers wanted, and they wanted scandal – and she made sure she gave it to them. For example, photographs of a certain beauty and style critic known as Cho Chang, with a bad case of boils and facial hair, going into The Belle Salon was bound to make her readers go wild. And after Cho Chang's nasty evaluation of Ginny's dress at the Ministry Summer Gala, it was most certainly worth it.

But Ginny was tired of it all. She wanted to conquer an audience other than middle-aged stay-at-home witches; she wanted to be a big shot. Ginny wanted to be the one who got all the gripping stories, something with a bit of edge and intrigue. She was bored with silly, everyday gossip.

Ginny looked up at Colin, who was still gazing at his amazing handiwork, and said casually, "I was thinking of trying something new."

Ginny's statement caused Colin to look up in shock. "What? You can't do that!"

Ginny sighed. She knew he was going to say that. Colin was not only her partner in crime, but her biggest fan. He loved her being on the column; it allowed him to get revenge on past boyfriends by telling the whole world their secrets through Ginny's Gossip.

"I think it's time I tried something more serious. Like going for the front page." Ginny smiled wistfully and looked over at the "Front Page" section of the office that was situated right next to the office of the Dragon Lady, also known as Nadine Steller, editor of the _Daily Prophet_. Ginny dreamed of being up there with the big shots like Imelda Remmings, known for her brutal honesty and straight-to-the-point facts, or Ralf Coul, who could get you hooked in with just one sentence. Hardly anyone else made it onto the front page – unless they had a world exclusive, of course.

"Ginbug, don't you think you're aiming a bit high?" Colin asked, his eyes drawn towards the editor's office.

"No. I'm good reporter, Colin. I just need something new. Something no one else has done before. Something with a bit of edge and enough scandal to make it onto the front page. I need a story that will get me noticed, respected as a world class reporter," Ginny insisted, her face set with determination.

"But you're good at what you do. The best, even."

Ginny rolled her eyes. She was good at gossip, but it wasn't much of a challenge. All she had to do was go to Sunday lunch at her parents' house and get a whole week's worth of stories for her column. There was no challenge, no thrill of finding a story, just tedious rumours.

"Ahhh, I can't do this. I'm leaving early," Ginny said as she picked up her handbag, stuffed the pictures of Cho Chang inside it, and grabbed an armload of files. "Are you wanting to skive with me?"

Colin grinned at her. "Of course."

They both exited the cubicle only to come face to face with the Dragon Lady herself, Nadine Steller. With her black hair pulled back into a severe bun and her black tailored suit, she reminded Ginny of a picture of a Muggle school headmistress Hermione had shown her when they were back at Hogwarts discussing Muggle Studies.

"Are you going somewhere?" Nadine asked, looking pointedly at Ginny's handbag.

"I have an interview with Harry Potter," Ginny replied automatically. Harry wouldn't mind if she used him as an excuse; she'd done it often enough.

"I want a word with you first." Nadine turned to Colin and eyed him closely. "Do you have somewhere to be, Mr Creevey?"

Colin gulped. "Uhm...no?"

Nadine flashed him a smile. "Good! Imelda is in need of a photographer. Go." She shooed him away, then turned back to Ginny.

"Was there something you needed me to do, Nadine?" Ginny crossed her fingers, hoping she wasn't going to ask to see Ginny's work for tomorrow's column.

"Yes. As you know, the tenth anniversary of the War is next month and I want you to be involved in the special edition of the _Daily Prophet_. Here are some ideas; you can use them for your story, or as mere guidelines if you have something else you'd like to do. Everything has to be passed by me, of course." Nadine handed Ginny the piece of parchment. "This is your chance. Do this well and you may be writing something other than gossip."

Ginny stared down at the parchment, unable to register what was going on. It was her chance to get away from gossip and do something productive – write a piece of fact instead of idle rumours.

"Ginny, don't you have an appointment with Mr Potter?" Nadine reminded her.

"Oh! Yes, uh, sorry. I'm just a bit speechless. Thank you so much, Nadine. I won't let you down," Ginny called after her as Nadine walked away.

Imelda stopped in front of Ginny, a miserable looking Colin following her like an obedient dog. Ginny had never gotten along with Imelda. she was beautiful, and she knew it. Her long blonde hair shimmered in the light and her skin was like smooth, pale alabaster. Imelda was one of those women who liked to see others fail and liked it even more if she had played a part in it. She was a cold and ruthless reporter, and her stories were the best of the best. Ginny was sure Imelda would be one to watch out for as she tried to get onto the front page.

"I see you were given the same Idea Sheet as Ralf and me," she said as she peered at the sheet in Ginny's hand. "I wouldn't waste your time, sweetie. I already have the Front Page material. It's all right here." Imelda tapped her forehead and smirked at Ginny.

"I think I'll be able to come up with something exciting. You're forgetting that I know Harry Potter extremely well," Ginny replied. She didn't feel the least bit intimidated by Imelda. She reminded Ginny of a school bully, and Ginny had always been able to stick up for herself and come out tops. She knew Harry would have something interesting for her to write about if she asked him nicely enough.

"Well, well, Ginny Weasley has a spine after all," Imelda sneered. "Come along, Colin."

Imelda pushed past Ginny and strutted out of the office. Ginny gave Colin a sympathetic look and squeezed his shoulder as he passed. Colin was a fantastic photographer, which resulted in his having to put up with those elite reporters who treated him like their minion.

Ginny Apparated straight into her flat from the office, threw her handbag and files onto the kitchen counter, and squealed with delight, bouncing up and down like a madwoman as she did a celebration dance.

Grabbing the piece of parchment Nadine had given her, she skipped into the living room. She switched on the wireless with a wave of her hand and curled up on the sofa, placing the sheet of ideas on the arm.

"**Good Afternoon, you are listening to W.W.N. Lunch Time News with me, Lavender Brown."**

Ginny tried to drown out Lavender's voice and focus on the parchment in front of her.

_10__th__ Anniversary Special Edition – Ideas_

_1 – Harry Potter exclusive interview_

_2 – Ron Weasley + Hermione Granger interview/engagement special_

_3 – Albus + Aberforth Dumbledore's story_

_4 – Bill Weasley: life after the attack_

_5 – The Black Family – focus on Sirius, Rabastan + Bellatrix Lestrange_

_6 – The Death Eaters – families, Azkaban, release dates, etc._

_7 – Diagon Alley parade_

_8 – Article on W.W.V.S._

_9 – Article on what actions the Ministry have taken to make sure another war doesn't happen, etc._

_10 – A tribute to the victims and their families_

"**A man in Wrexham has been taken in for questioning this afternoon. It is believed that he was keeping a young Ukrainian Ironbelly dragon in his garden. Authorities became suspicious after receiving several complaints about the noise coming from Mr Lavingly's cottage on Sunday night. Ernie MacMillan is at the scene...Ernie, have the Dragon Keepers arrived yet?"**

Ginny stared at the wireless, wondering if it was her brother's team of Dragon Keepers that had been called to the scene.

"_**Hello, Lavender. Yes, they arrived approximately thirty minutes ago. Head Dragon Keeper Charlie Weasley has told us that the dragon has been Stunned and they will now be placing it into a crate so they can take it back to the Ukraine, where they are hoping it will settle in fine with the other dragons of its kind in the sanctuary."**_

"**And what will happen to Mr Lavingly?"**

"_**According to sources at the Ministry, he will be given a 200 Galleon fine."**_

"**Thank you, Ernie. In other news, the singer Celestina Warbeck has a serious throat infection, and Healers say it will be unlikely she will be able to perform at the Tenth Anniversary Parade in Diagon Alley. Fans of the singer have been eagerly awaiting Miss Warbeck's first-ever free performance, and mediwitches at St. Mungo's have confirmed that Miss Warbeck has received over two thousand get-well cards."**

Ginny snorted. She was positive that her mother was one of those fans sending Celistina Warbeck a get-well card...or a Howler, depending on what sort of mood she was in.

"**Padma Patil, founder of the Wizarding War Victim Society and organiser of the Tenth Anniversary Parade, has confirmed that the Chosen One, Harry Potter, Ron Weasley of the Chudley Cannons, and Hermione Granger will be together on the Float of Honour. We spoke to Mr Weasley during practise earlier today."**

Ginny glared at the innocent wireless, sniffing with indignation. Someone had failed to mention that little tidbit of information. She resumed looking at her list, wondering which one was the guilty suspect.

"**Padma is a close family friend and asked if I would mind. It's a real honour and I feel that the three of us, as a team, represent the wizarding community as a whole. All three of us lost a great deal in the war, so we understand fully what others went through. Not only did I lose friends but I lost a brother, too. Harry – well, everyone knows Harry's story. And Hermione is one of the smartest witches I know, and she saved my hide more times than I can remember, but she was treated badly for being Muggle-born. So I'm extremely honoured to have the opportunity to be a part of the parade." **

Ahh, Ron was the guilty one, then. _No surprises there_, Ginny thought as she uncurled herself from the sofa and wandered through to her kitchen. She pointed her wand at the kettle and it began to whistle softly as it came to a boil. Ginny grabbed a cup and made herself a coffee.

She was definitely going to stay away from ideas number 1, 2, and 4, considering those were quite frankly too close to home since they involved all her family members. Number 3 was also a sore point; she knew that Aberforth hated to talk about his family and liked to be left alone in his dingy little pub.

Ginny couldn't even think about number 10,_ A tribute to the victims and their families. _It brought up memories of Fred lying on the ground, George holding his lifeless body, tears falling freely from his wide eyes as he urged his twin to come back. Ginny hated thinking about Fred in that way. She preferred happy memories of when he used to play pranks on their mother, when he pretended to be George, or the explosions and mysterious noises that so often came from the twins' bedroom.

Shaking herself out of a stupor, Ginny frowned down at the list of ideas. Nothing was exciting enough. Death Eaters were quite interesting to do, but everyone knew about them and what they'd done; no need to relive those old tales.

A sharp, insistent knocking at the door made Ginny jump, and she got up and hurried towards it. She opened it to reveal a harassed looking Colin, who just shook his head at her questioning look.

"Don't ask," he said as he pushed passed her and propped himself up against the kitchen worktops. He spied Ginny's coffee and grabbed it, downing it in two gulps.

Ginny raised an eyebrow. "You can't expect me not to ask what's wrong after an entrance like that."

"That bitch!" Colin fumed. "She's doing a story on Padma. She's got it into her mind that Padma's taking all the grants from the Ministry and proceeds from charity and keeping them for herself. She had me following her all round Gringrotts trying to find out from a 'source' if Padma has a business account for the W.W.V.S."

"That's insane. Of course Padma does everything by the book – she's a Ravenclaw," muttered Ginny and she went to stand beside Colin.

"You need to get front page, Gin. They can't have a story like that for the special edition. It would ruin Padma and the whole parade if Imelda found out that even a single wayward Knut had mistakenly landed in her private vault instead of the business one. She's the bloody organiser of this whole thing. Why does Imelda have a need to see good, genuine people fail all the time?" Colin asked furiously.

"She's a cow. A cold-hearted one at that," Ginny replied matter-of-factly. "Do you want to come with me for dinner at the Burrow tonight? Mum has been asking for you all week, said she met a nice young man like you in Diagon Alley the other day. She still has a problem saying the word 'gay' for some reason."

Ginny rolled her eyes in a joking manner and smiled up at Colin. They had been friends since their first year together at Hogwarts. He had been very supportive after the whole Chamber of Secrets thing and had encouraged Ginny to start writing a diary again, for which she was extremely thankful as the only reason she'd got the job at the _Daily Prophet_ in the first place was because Nadine Steller had found the diary when Ginny had left it in the Leaky Cauldron. And when Colin had decided to tell the world he was gay, Ginny had been with him every step of the way.

Colin gave her a half-smile. "Well, I suppose if your mother has a potential date for me I might as well go. It's been a while."

"A whole two weeks is not 'a while', Colin." Ginny chuckled and threw a dish cloth at him.

"I know, but it feels like two years," he exclaimed, dramatically putting a hand over his chest.

"You don't know the half of it, Colin." Ginny picked up the empty cup and placed it in the sink, then turned to find Colin gaping at her. "What?"

"You haven't had sex in two years?" Colin's face was a picture of genuine shock, which made Ginny feel slightly uncomfortable.

"I've been busy," she said rather defensively as she pulled at the hem of her jumper.

"What – building a convent? Ginny, it's been two years since your break-up with Harry. Don't you think you should get back into the dating game?" Colin moved to stand next to Ginny and wrapped his arms around her, giving her an encouraging squeeze.

"Oh, Colin, why couldn't you be straight?" sighed Ginny, feeling slightly pathetic. She hadn't been on a single date since her split from Harry. To be honest, she hadn't even tried to find a new man. Harry had moved on; he was now dating Lavender Brown who, according to Padma, was adamant that she was going to be Mrs Potter by sometime next year. Why couldn't she move on?

"Ginbug, you wouldn't like my preferences in bed."

That made her laugh and slap him playfully on the shoulder. "Come on, I want to get a good seat before everyone else arrives," she said, referring to the mismatched chairs at the dining table of the Burrow. If there were a lot of people expected, the reserve chairs made an appearance. They came in the form of a beanbag, an old barstool, a stack of tires, and they'd even had to resort to using an old toilet last Christmas. Poor Ron hadn't taken the joke well and was given no Christmas pudding due to his unfriendly use of a wand on Christmas Day.

Colin and Ginny Apparated onto the front porch of the Burrow and stared at the door, from which Molly Weasley's yells could quite clearly be heard.

"– will not calm down. Of all the women in England he has to choose her!"

"– don't care if she is well respected –"

"– Ginny is coming tonight –"

Ginny jumped at the sound of her name and quickly shot a narrow look at Colin, who was eyeing the door with extreme interest.

"– not over –"

"– never thought Harry would be –"

Colin waved frantically for Ginny's attention. "I think we should go in."

Ginny nodded and, plastering a smile across her face, opened the door to find her mother in mid-scream, waving a letter in Arthur's face and looking as if she was ready to burst into flames.

"What's going on?" Ginny asked nonchalantly.

Molly quickly shoved the letter into the front pocket of her apron and gave Arthur a significant look that meant, "This is not over!" She hurried over to Ginny and gave her a big, motherly hug.

"Oh, look at you!" Molly pulled back and let her eyes roam over her daughter's body. "Have you been losing weight?"

"No, Mum." Ginny blushed; she hated it when people talked about her weight. She wasn't exactly skinny– in fact she was maybe just the tiniest bit overweight – but she did regular exercise and tried to eat as well as she could. But she couldn't resist dropping in at Florian Fortescue's for a vanilla and toffee chip ice cream with extra toffee sauce.

Molly frowned at Ginny and turned her attention to Colin, grabbing him by the arm and pulling him into the kitchen. "I met a lovely man in Diagon Alley last week. He's just like you. His name is Cormac and he works at the Ministry, in the Law Enforcement Squad. He gave me his owl address to pass on. He seemed really interested after I told him all about you."

Ginny and Colin both watched as the Weasley matriarch rummaged through a pile of parchment scraps on the kitchen worktop. "It's in here somewhere – ah, here it is, right next to the sieve."

She handed Colin a crumpled piece of parchment. Ginny looked over his shoulder and read the name. "Cormac McLaggen? Didn't Hermione go out with him at Hogwarts?"

"I didn't realise he was gay," Colin said breathlessly, ignoring Ginny's question.

Ginny eyed him closely. "Although by the sound of things you've been wishing he was."

"Have you seen him? Absolutely magnificent." Colin closed his eyes and smiled dreamily.

Ginny snapped her fingers in front of his face, making him blink up at her, and shook her head in amusement. "You look like all your birthday wishes have come true at once."

"They have," was the simple reply she received as he studied the scrap of paper more closely, trying to find something about Cormac that might be hidden in the script.

"Ginny." She looked up to see her father nervously wiping his glasses with his tie before he placed them back on his nose. He studied her closely; it was almost like he was waging an internal battle with himself.

"Was there something you wanted to say, Dad?" Ginny urged him gently.

"It's Harry. He's coming tonight," Arthur blurted out quickly, rubbing his forehead.

Confused, Ginny nodded politely to be on the safe side. "Okay."

"He's bringing Lavender."

That made Ginny pause. Lavender was coming tonight...to the Burrow...for dinner...with Harry. Ginny bit her lip. She wasn't sure if she was ready for that. Things must be getting more serious between them if he was bringing her to a Weasley dinner. Maybe Padma was right – maybe Lavender would soon be Mrs Harry Potter.

"Are you okay with that? We could tell Harry not to come if it would make you feel better," Arthur offered as he touched her shoulder gently.

"No, no, of course I'm fine. Why wouldn't I be?" Ginny said, her voice becoming increasingly high-pitched.

"I'm proud of you, Ginevra." Arthur smiled down at her, then walked into the living room.

Ginny watched him leave with a sad smile on her face. Her parents had been devastated when Harry had broken up with her. They'd thought the relationship would lead to marriage and little girls with pitch-black hair and brown sparkling eyes, or little boys with red hair and natural Seeker ability. But their dreams had been shattered and their youngest child's heart broken into a thousand tiny pieces. According to Harry they just weren't "compatible enough"; to this very day Ginny still didn't understand what he meant by that.

The next to arrive were Bill and Fleur with their three children. The nine-year-old Victoire ran straight up to Ginny. "Auntie! Look at my new shoes," Victoire squealed.

"Oh, wow, they're beautiful. I must get a pair," Ginny exclaimed. Victoire's little face beamed with obvious delight and she giggled as Ginny began to tickle her sides.

Dominique and Louis, on the other hand, were not interested in shoes or in being tickled by their Aunt Ginny. "Grandpa, can you show us your shed?" The little boys stared up at Arthur with wide, innocent eyes. Grandpa Weasley had an extensive collection of Muggle artefacts and the boys loved to play with the Muggle children's games. Arthur smiled as each boy placed a hand in his larger one and pulled him outside.

Fleur moved swiftly over to Molly. "Do you need any help?"

Molly smiled but it didn't quite reach her eyes. Fleur and Molly's relationship still continued to be quite strained due to the recent announcement that Fleur wanted Victoire to study at Bueaxbatons. Molly believed that her first grandchild should go to Hogwarts, since they lived in England, after all.

"You could set the table, if you want," Molly said politely.

Fleur gave Molly a nod and walked over to the dining table with her wand drawn. Ginny could tell that her sister-in-law was upset with the distance Molly seemed set on maintaining. It was normal to see Molly and Fleur enjoying a good gossip while they cooked together; this recent subject of schooling was obviously putting extreme pressure on their already fragile relationship.

Bill sat down next to Ginny. "Charlie can't make it. He has to travel to the Ukraine by broom tonight," he explained.

"Yeah, I heard it on the news. What about Percy and George?" Ginny asked, noticing out of the corner of her eye that her mother had suddenly gone still.

"Percy sends his regards," Bill said with an exasperated roll of his eyes. "And George is busy working on some new products, apparently."

"Well, I suppose it's a good thing he's back to working on new products for the shop. He hasn't done any since Fred died. I suppose Lee will be helping him?"

"Probably," Bill replied just as the front door opened once again to reveal Ron and Hermione, hand in hand, followed by a sheepish-looking Harry with an overly smug Lavender by his side.

"Oh, you're just in time," exclaimed Molly as she hurried over and ushered them into the kitchen. "You must be Lavender."

The woman in question gave Molly a toothy smile and handed her a bouquet of pink tulips. "Thank you so much for inviting me. Harry has told me so much about you, I almost feel like I'm part of the family already," laughed Lavender, throwing a mocking smile in Ginny's direction.

Ginny silently fumed as she watched her mother fall under Lavender's charm. This was awful. She should have changed her mind; she wasn't up to seeing Harry and Lavender together, let alone seeing that atrocious woman getting along so well with her mother. Ginny could do nothing but look on as Molly placed the pink tulips in a vase that she, Ginny, had got her for her birthday.

Finally the Weasleys and their guests sat down at the sturdy oak table and tucked into the feast that Molly had no doubt been preparing all day.

"So, Ginny, how is work?"

Stopping in mid-chew, Ginny looked across to see Lavender looking at her expectantly. She swallowed quickly and looked around the table, squirming uncomfortably when she saw that everyone – apart from Ron, who was still stuffing his face – was waiting for her to answer the question.

"Fine," she said shortly, and returned to her meal.

"So you like working on the gossip column, then?" Lavender continued to prod, making Ginny think about stabbing her in the eye with a fork.

"Well, it pays the bills," Ginny smiled.

Lavender's eyes narrowed. "Surely you want to start writing something more –"

"Actually, Nadine has asked Ginny to write something for the Tenth Anniversary special edition," Colin interrupted, giving Lavender a sharp look.

Ginny gave Colin a smile and mouthed "Thank you" to him.

"Oh, Ginny, that's wonderful. Do you have any idea what you'll be focusing on?" Hermione asked, leaning around Ron so she could see Ginny.

"Um, not yet."

"Well, I'm sure you'll come up with something," Hermione assured her.

Bill, sensing the need for a change in the conversation, finally spoke up. "Harry, how does it feel to be the youngest ever Head of the Auror Department?"

"I didn't realise how much work it would actually be. I have to not only take charge of the wanted witches and wizards but I also have to deal with appeals for re-trials for all those already in Azkaban." Harry ran a hand through his hair and gave a small smile.

"Do you get a lot of appeals for re-trials, then, Harry?" Arthur inquired, looking quite interested.

"Well, we recently received an anonymous letter demanding that Draco Malfoy be given a re-trial due to lack of evidence. We questioned Narcissa Malfoy and she claims she had no idea about the letter. She told us her son committed a crime, so he should be punished. She then told us to leave because we were delaying her holiday plans," explained Harry.

"Lack of evidence? I thought Malfoy was found at the scene, holding the murder weapon," Ginny said, taking a sudden interest in the conversation. This could be a potential story. She could just see the scandal and intrigue it would cause: MALFOY MURDER RE-TRIAL.

"He was," Harry replied simply, giving Ginny an encouraging nod, "but the wand didn't belong to him and throughout the trial he denied murdering Parvati Patil and Terry Boot but admitted to being a murderer."

Ginny bit her lip and tentatively asked, "Would it be okay if I used this for my story?"

Harry stared at her thoughtfully for a moment. "Sure, I don't see why not. If you come by the office on Monday I'll let you see the files."

Ginny thanked him and finished off her fish-pie, ignoring the venomous looks Lavender was shooting at both her and Harry.

* * *

Somewhere in the middle of the North Sea, in a high-security cell, a young man groaned as he lifted another weight, his arm rolling into a perfect curve. Sweat stained his white t-shirt as it clung to his pale skin. Grimacing, he dropped the weight, enjoying the sound of the dull thud as it hit the floor. Using the back of his hand he brushed his blonde hair away from his forehead and stared blankly as the Patrol Wizard opened his cell door.

"You have an important letter, Malfoy," the Patrol Wizard said and threw a large envelope at him, then shut the cell door once again.

The prisoner's grey eyes blinked down at the script, which he recognised as that of his family's lawyer. Frowning, he ripped open the envelope and read the large black letters on the front page of an extremely thick file.

"DRACO MALFOY APPEAL FOR RE-TRIAL – ACCEPTED"

Hissing in anger, he ripped the file, including the envelope, into shreds. Picking up another set of weights with his left hand, he didn't even bother to watch as the pieces floated feebly onto the stone floor of the cell.

* * *

A/N - Thanks to my beta, mamacita! Well...did you love, like or hate? Let me know by giving me a REVIEW! :) xxx


	2. Chapter 2

The Auror office was overflowing with people. Witches and wizards alike were dictating to quills, rummaging through a massive black filing cabinet, or passing pieces of parchment to one another as they passed, and Ginny even spotted two wizards placing a Restraining Charm on a shady-looking man as she passed interview room number 3, and she was suddenly very glad she'd never wanted to be an Auror. She continued walking past a seemingly endless number of interview rooms, all of which appeared to be in use, and came to a halt in front of a dark wooden door with gold lettering that read: Harry Potter, Head, Auror Department.

She was pleased for Harry; he was an extremely good Auror. He'd known he was going to be asked to fill the position after his predecessor became severely ill due to stress and lack of sleep. Harry, not one to back down from a challenge, accepted the role with all the enthusiasm that was needed to work in a department like this.

Once she finished straightening her suit and patting down her hair, Ginny rapped sharply on the door and waited to be invited inside.

Harry smiled at her as he showed her into his office. "Sorry about the mess. I've been trying to sort out a proper filing system."

Ginny gaped at the large mounds of files dotted around the office; the shelves were completely bare. "Maybe you could convince Hermione to help you. She is a librarian, after all."

"Yeah, I really should," Harry laughed. He moved to his desk and picked up the top file from a large brown box and handed it to her. "Right, here's the Malfoy case for you to take a look at. You can take it home tonight and give it back by Friday, if that's okay?"

"This is wonderful, Harry, thank you. But by the look of things I'll be finished with it by tomorrow," Ginny replied as she skimmed through the slim file.

"It's not just that file, Ginny." Harry gave her a strange look. "It's the whole box."

The whole box? Ginny peered inside and groaned. File upon file was crammed into every little space of the box, with single sheets of parchment and photographs scattered around inside. Well, she wanted a story, and if that story came in the shape of twenty files stuffed in a box she would just have to accept that. She picked up the box, grunting at the weight of it, and shuffled towards the door.

"Thank you once again, Harry," she said, her voice slightly strained as she struggled with the box in her arms.

"If you have any questions, just ask. See you later." Harry walked her to the door. They stared at each other for a moment in an uncomfortable silence.

"Well, I, uh...thank you?" Ginny said uneasily.

"I have to get back to work." Harry smiled thinly and as soon as she stepped out of his office he closed the door with a snap, making her jump slightly.

Ginny glared at the door, feeling somewhat put out by Harry's curt dismissal. That had been too awkward; they'd been a bit too polite with each other. It was almost like they'd just met for the first time; it was strange not to feel the familiarity they had once shared. There had been a time, not so long ago, when they'd known what each other was thinking, or knew what sort of mood the other was in just by looking at them. They had been perfect, always happy and smiling and everything was great, but obviously that hadn't appealed to Harry Potter. With one last glare Ginny stomped out of the Auror Department and headed for the nearest Apparation point.

Like every Monday morning, the _Daily Prophet_ office was buzzing with life. Ginny glanced up at the clock: 8.30, and already everyone was up to their eyeballs with work. A group of flying office memos whizzed past her head, one of them clipping her ear in the process. Grumbling to herself about unruly flying memos, she entered her cubicle, only to exclaim with dismay.

Her desk, the one that had been absolutely spotless on Friday afternoon, was covered with neon-yellow office memos, a stack of fan letters overflowed her in-tray, and a large package sat in the middle of the desk, taking up most of the space. She dropped the box next to her desk and grabbed the first memo.

_**Ginny, I need your column by 11:00. Nadine.**_

Ginny screwed up her face. Damn – she'd forgot about her column. She'd been so excited about the Malfoy re-trial for her new story that she had completely forgot to work on her current commitment to the paper, Ginny's Gossip. Snatching up a tattered-looking quill, she began to scribble furiously on her pad.

After a time she looked up at the clock and smiled to herself: 10:45. She would make it. Nadine wouldn't kill her for missing the deadline, and Ginny was free to continue with the Malfoy case – everything was completely fine. She placed her column, which detailed Cho Chang's beauty mishap and informed Ginny's readers that Celestina Warbeck had been seen leaving St Mungo's in the early hours of Sunday morning, into a large purple envelope with wings. Ginny knew for a fact that the latter piece of gossip was true, as she had spotted the singer when she'd half-carried, half-dragged Colin to the hospital to get an emergency Sobering Potion when he was continuously sick after too many shots of Firewhisky. She stuffed Colin's pictures of Cho Chang into the envelope along with her column and as soon as she sealed it the envelope began to flap its wings erratically. Ginny let it go and watched as it flew straight into Nadine Steller's office.

Next Ginny reached for the package and read the small note attached to it.

_**Hey Gin, I thought these newspaper articles might be of interest to you. They're from the Hogwarts Library archives so I'll need them back. They're dated at the time of the Malfoy trial. I also found some books which may be helpful. Good luck, Hermione.**_

Ginny smiled. Trust Hermione to send her books; the newspaper articles, on the other hand, could prove useful. It would be interesting to read what other reporters had written on the trial. Ginny moved Hermione's package to the floor next to the box of files from Harry and picked up another office memo.

_**Ginny, If you need any advice don't hesitate to pay a visit to my cubicle. Ralf. **_

Ginny stood up and glanced over at Imelda's cubicle. Seeing it was vacant she hurried towards Ralf's cubicle, which was directly across from Imelda's. Ralf was sitting at his desk crouched over a sheaf of parchment. He was one of those classically handsome men, with a strong jawline, straight nose, piercing blue eyes, and dark brown hair. Oh, and a body that made Ginny's mind scream, "Please shag me now!" But then again, she'd been sex-deprived for over two years now, so she wasn't exactly choosy.

She coughed to get his attention, making him jump and look up in annoyance.

"Oh, sorry, I didn't mean to...are you busy?" Ginny cursed to herself. This was not how she'd intended this conversation to go. She wanted to smile, make him laugh, maybe have a little flirt; but no, she was already stuttering like an idiot and she'd only said her first sentence.

"Ginny! I'm a bit busy but I'm sure I can find time for you, sweetheart." He patted the chair next to his and gave her a cheeky grin.

Ginny blushed at the endearment and sat down. A silence fell over the cubicle as Ralf looked at her expectantly. Shoot, maybe she should have planned a speech or something. She hadn't really had much to do with Ralf apart from a passing greeting whenever their paths crossed. It didn't help that he was quite good looking, in an older man way – he must be in his late thirties at least.

"I got your memo and thought I would take you up on your offer," Ginny said, feeling quite pleased that she hadn't stuttered.

"Right-o. Have you any ideas for a story?" Ralf inquired, leaning more towards her.

"I have a story. Harry Potter has given me inside information on something that will be public very soon and he's letting me report it," Ginny said confidently.

"Oh, fantastic," Ralf exclaimed. He appeared to be genuinely happy for her. "That's the right way to do it. Use those you know to your advantage."

Ginny perked up slightly at this approval. "Thank you." She paused for a moment. "Do you have a story?"

"Well, yes and no. Yes, I do have a story. No, I didn't choose to do it," Ralf sighed. "Nadine wants me to do the interviews with those who are closely involved in the parade."

Everyone in the journalism business knew Ralf Coul was the best at interviewing. He could get even the tightest-lipped celebrity to spill their deepest and darkest secrets.

"You're wonderful at interviews." Ginny gave him a small smile, which he returned.

"Thank you. So, are you going to tell me about this wonderful story of yours? Maybe I can help in some way?" Ralf asked. "I might let slip what Imelda's story is," he added with a sly wink.

"How do you know what Imelda is up to?"

Ralf leaned in, gesturing for her to come closer. "I went snooping around her desk," he whispered.

"That wasn't very nice," Ginny said, but her tone was tinged with amusement.

"Well, sometimes I'm not very nice," Ralf grinned.

Ginny smiled and pulled back. "I know what she's doing."

"Then you know her story is potentially disastrous – if she finds anything, that is," Ralf said, his face sobering all of a sudden.

"Yes, Colin is going to keep me updated. Padma is a friend of ours; I don't want this to happen to her. She's one of the loveliest and kindest women I know. She does everything by the book, but if a mistake was made by anyone who works for her it could damage her. That's why I can't tell you about this story – I know it's good and I know I can do it, and I know for a fact that it will make front page of the special edition," Ginny stated with absolute sincerity.

Ralf nodded. "Ginny, you're amazing. If you ever need my help, let me know. Could I ask you a favour?"

"Depends on what it is," Ginny said warily.

"Could you set up an interview between me and Miss Patil? I think it would be beneficial for her, especially with Imelda sneaking about. I'd even do it via Floo if she prefers." Ralf looked at Ginny anxiously.

"I'll owl her right now, Ralf. Thank you very much for the chat. I will definitely come to you if I'm in need of help," Ginny replied.

They both stood up. Ginny wasn't a particularly tall woman and was quite surprised to see that Ralf was only a couple of inches taller than her. After shaking his hand in an extremely businesslike manner, she made her way back to her desk to find even more neon-yellow office memos awaiting her attention.

_**Ginbug, The hag is onto something. Warn Padma. Let me know when you get this. Col.**_

Ginny frowned and grabbed another one.

_**Ginny, Do not ignore this! Let Padma know her accountant has made a mistake. Colin.**_

She snatched up the other two memos and reduced the boxes in size, stuffing them in her pocket. Then she made her way out of the _Daily Prophet_ building onto the cobbled pathway of Diagon Alley. She opened the other memo as she walked and read the scribbled words:

_**Ginevra, Seriously, I'm begging you to do something, and fast. I can't get away. We're in room 24 at Gringotts. Bring backup. Colin.**_

Ginny hurried her pace towards the headquarters of the W.W.V.S. She stood at the reception desk and waited while the witch behind the counter finished her Floo-call.

"I couldn't believe it when she told me –"

"Excuse me." Ginny cut off the witch in mid-sentence.

"Hold on, Janice." The receptionist looked Ginny over from head to toe. "Can I help you?"

"I need to speak to Padma Patil. It's urgent," Ginny replied, giving the receptionist a cool look.

"Do you have an appointment?"

"No, but –" The woman raised a hand, causing Ginny to stop abruptly.

"No appointment, no can do. If you'd like to make an appointment, I'd be happy to help." She pointed her wand at a large diary. "Miss Patil is free on the thirteenth of December at 2 p.m."

"No, this is urgent. I'm Ginny Weasley, a close friend, and I have to talk with her urgently about something that's come up," Ginny said furiously. The obnoxious little witch was about to get hit over the head with that stupid diary in a minute.

"Ginny Weasley – from the _Daily Prophet_?" The witch smiled, in a way Ginny could only describe as malicious. "I don't think so, but I can refer you to the Public Relations team."

Ginny groaned and smacked her hand on the desk. "Stop it. This is extremely important. Can you not just ask her if she'll see me?"

"I'm afraid, Miss Weasley, that I can't possibly do that."

"Why not?" Ginny glared at the woman, and eyed the name badge – Josie. Well, Josie had better watch out because she was just about an inch away from seeing the infamous Weasley Temper in full force.

"Ginny?"

A voice from behind threw Ginny off-balance. She quickly righted herself and turned to face the owner.

Padma Patil stood before her, her royal blue business suit gorgeous against her caramel-coloured skin and her midnight black hair flowing around her shoulders. She looked every inch the successful woman that she was.

"Padma, I'm so glad it's you. Your receptionist is a bit of a cow," Ginny said quickly, ignoring the screech of outrage from Josie. "I need to speak with you about something. Imelda Remmings is doing a story on you, and Colin, who she's dragged along to take photographs, says it has something to do with a mistake your accountant has made. They're currently in room twenty...twenty...gah, twenty-something in Gringotts right this very minute."

"You mean room 24?" Padma asked incredulously.

"Yes, that's the one. I take it that's of some significance to you?" Ginny asked, seeing the disbelieving look on Padma's face.

"That's my accountant's office." Padma turned on her heel and marched out of the reception area in the direction of the imposing white building that was Gringotts.

Ginny jogged to keep up with her; Padma was a tall woman with a long stride. They entered Gringotts, ignoring infuriated shouts from the Goblins, and continued to march down a long corridor Ginny hadn't even known existed.

Padma forcefully opened the door to room 24, making it bang against the wall. It was quite a spectacular entrance; Ginny looked at Padma with a new respect.

"Finally!" Colin exclaimed, throwing a handful of papers onto the desk. "I thought you'd never get here. Where is your backup?" He peered round them.

"We didn't bring any," snapped Padma. "Where is Mr Fuller?"

"Mr Fuller...?" Colin blinked at Padma and looked around the room.

"My accountant, Colin, is Mr Fuller – whose office you are standing in," Padma screeched.

"Oh. I don't know," Colin shrugged. "Imelda just dragged me in here and told me to start looking."

Ginny looked around the small office, unable to see Imelda anywhere. "Colin...where is Imelda?"

Ginny was surprised to see Colin blushing and looking down at his shoes. "Well, you see, that's why I wanted you to bring backup." He finally looked up. "I Stunned her. She found something and started waving it about in my face like a crazy woman and cackling. So I Stunned her and took what she'd found. Then I began to panic and I...uh...I hid her under the desk."

"Confrontation was never your forte, Colin," Ginny said dryly as she bent to take a peek under the desk. Sure enough, Imelda was stuffed under there quite nicely, in a foetal position no less. How Colin had managed to do that was beyond her.

"So, what did she find, then?" Padma stood with her hands on her hips, and Ginny could tell she was seething inside and trying hard not to take it out on her friends.

Colin picked up the papers he'd dropped on the desk and passed them to Padma. "I think you might want to get a new accountant, that's all I'm saying."

Both Ginny and Colin stood in silence and watched as Padma's eyes moved furiously along the pages. All of a sudden she started to tremble. Ginny felt awful watching her; she knew something bad was happening and it was frustrating not to know what was going on.

"No, no, no!" Padma began to sob hysterically, unable to tear her eyes away from whatever was on the sheet in front of her.

Ginny moved over to her and placed a comforting arm around her shoulders. "Padma, what is it?"

"M-m-mr Fuller, my accountant for ten years, has been embezzling money from my charity. A bloody fucking charity – what kind of person does that?" Padma cried.

"A greedy accountant?" Colin offered, his attempt to make light of the situation making Padma cry even harder and not helping matters in the slightest.

"Right, here's the plan," Ginny said, deciding it was time someone took charge of the situation. "I'll take Padma back to her office. We'll take the statements that show Mr Fuller has been embezzling money from the W.W.V.S, and that way we can get her lawyers on to it as soon as possible."

"What will I do?" Colin piped up.

"As soon as we leave you'll wake Imelda up and tell her she banged her head when she got all excited about something. If she asks about the papers, just act clueless." Ginny eyed him sternly. "I'm sure you can do that."

Colin stuck his tongue out at her. "Right, away you go, then," he said, shooing Ginny and a weeping Padma out of the room.

As soon as the door closed behind them, Colin took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "I can do this...I can do this...I can do this," he chanted as he slowly moved towards the desk. He took a peek under it and scrambled back, moaning, "Oh, Merlin, I can't do this."

He steadied himself against the wall and stared at Imelda's unconscious form. She was harmless this way, unable to hurt him. It unnerved him that he was still terrified of her even when she was out cold.

"Be a man, Colin," he said firmly to himself, in his gruffest voice.

Taking a deep breath, he grabbed Imelda's hand and pulled her out from under the desk, manoeuvring her around to approximately where she'd been standing before he Stunned her. Squeezing his eyes shut, he waved his wand over her, jumping back when she groaned and began to wake up. He watched silently as she pushed herself up into a sitting position and shook her head, looking slightly dazed.

"What happened?"

"You bumped your head when you started bouncing around like a maniac, "Colin blurted out all in one big rush.

"Oh – yes, well..." she trailed off, looking around her.

"Do you need any help to stand up?" Colin asked timidly.

"If you don't mind, Colin. I would rather not be stuck here on the floor all day," Imelda snapped.

Colin sighed with relief. He hadn't caused her any brain damage, and it was good to know she was still the horrible hag she'd been before he Stunned her. Held held out his hand and Imelda grasped it and pulled herself up.

"Where is that bit of paper I had in my hand?" she asked as she looked around the office.

"What bit of paper?" Colin asked stupidly as he too looked curiously around the office as if looking for a clue.

"You know, the one I got all excited about – where is it?" Imelda rolled her eyes in exasperation.

"Oh. I don't know. You didn't have anything in your hand when I came over to check on you," Colin said simply.

Imelda stared at him with narrowed eyes as if she was assessing his sincerity. Colin stared back, trying hard to look confused. He must have been convincing, as she nodded.

"Right, well, let's leave before someone comes back," she finally said.

"Yes, let's go," Colin said enthusiastically as he practically ran out the door.

* * *

Somewhere in the middle of the North Sea, in a high security cell at Azkaban prison, Graham Pritchard sat at a metal table and tugged at his collar. The fluorescent light beamed down on him, making the sweat on his forehead even more noticeable. His client, on the other hand, appeared cool and calm, and looked quite at home slouched in the rickety metal chair, his arm resting along the back.

"Mr Malfoy, this case has many holes in it. The lack of evidence, for one, is astounding. It's a wonder how you were even given a life sentence. The re-trial would be a success, I assure you," Graham informed his client.

Out of all the cases his father had passed on to him, this had to be one of the most important. The Malfoys had been clients of Pritchard & Son for years, and if Graham lost this account his father would probably kill him. The Malfoy in question was as extremely intimidating as he'd been when Graham had first started at Hogwarts. Draco Malfoy had been in his fourth year at the time, and Graham had been warned by all the second and third years to stay out of his way. Instead of looking like a scrawny school bully with his two bodyguards at his side, Malfoy looked lethal. While his muscles weren't overly large, there was still a menacing air of power that radiated from him; Graham knew that with one solid punch from one of those fists he would probably die.

But it wasn't the muscles that really intimidated him. It was Malfoy's eyes. Cold grey eyes that held no life, no feeling, just emptiness; and every time Malfoy looked at him, Graham had felt like he was being pierced with a thousand knives right through his chest.

"I don't want a fucking re-trial, Pritchard," Malfoy said slowly.

"B-b-but, sir, it's already been accepted. It starts next week," Graham stuttered. It was the first time his client had spoken since arriving in the room, and it as certainly not what Graham had been expecting to hear.

"If I wanted a re-trial I would have done it years ago, but I don't," Malfoy said harshly.

"Why not?" Graham dreaded the answer almost as soon as he asked the question.

"I'm a murderer, Pritchard, that's why," Malfoy sneered. "And I don't regret killing them. It felt good to see them beg for mercy. And it felt fucking amazing to watch their lifeless bodies fall at my feet."

"You – you did kill Parvati Patil and Terry Boot?" Graham squeaked. This had definitely not been in the file – Malfoy was not supposed to have confessed to killing them.

Malfoy screwed up his face in disgust. "No, I didn't kill them. But I've killed others, others who deserved it."

"Who would deserve to be killed?" breathed Graham. This was getting more interesting by the minute.

"Now, that would be telling, Mr Pritchard," Malfoy replied with a smirk. "But I will give you a clue: the 'murder weapon' I had in my hands when the Aurors found me doesn't really belong to me."

"Do you know who it belongs to, Mr Malfoy?" Graham asked, quickly making notes on a pad.

"Pritchard, I'm not going to tell you. Where's the fun in that?" Malfoy scoffed as he got up from the table and went over to a set of weights in the corner. "Now, get out of my cell."

* * *

**_A/N - Okay, here is chapter 2. Big thank you to my beta mamacita - she is fab! Please review!!! xx_**


	3. Chapter 3

The flat was peaceful and quiet. Ginny closed her eyes contentedly and leaned against the wall in the hallway. Silence. She had been craving it all day, and it was just what she needed after being stuck with a hysterical control freak like Padma for over two hours. Padma's lawyer had been extremely optimistic, explaining that all the evidence of embezzlement was on the sheaf of paper and the money would be back in the W.W.V.S vaults in no time at all. Poor Padma was hurt by the whole situation; she couldn't seem to get her head round it. Mr Fuller was a well respected accountant and quite well off himself; plus Padma paid him generously and Ginny knew for a fact that he was in charge of most of the richest clients in Diagon Alley. It was astounding to think someone like him could do such a thing. But greed was a fickle thing.

Ginny shuffled through to her small bedroom and fell onto the bed. Grabbing the pillow, she pulled it over her head to muffle her scream. She was tired, hungry, and in need of a long, hot soak in the bath. Gathering the miniscule amount of strength she had left, Ginny made her way into the bathroom, stripping as she went.

She sighed as her body slowly sank fully under the hot water, the bubbles that smelled of peaches sticking to her skin. Leaning back, she closed her eyes and drifted off into another world. This was what she needed, a nice calm, relaxing bath; at that minute in time nobody else mattered but her. She had no other worries, nobody else's needs to compete with. Just her and her thoughts, in a bath, with a large glass of white wine – cheap wine, but it still contained alcohol. Perfect.

A large crash from the living room startled her, causing her to swallow a mouthful of bath water. Coughing and spluttering, her face covered with peach-scented bubbles, she stared at the door in wide-eyed terror. She didn't move – hell, she couldn't move. Later on she would convince herself she hadn't wanted to alert the intruders that she was home, but at that particular moment she was absolutely terrified. Maybe they would be quick, find what they were looking for – hopefully it was in the living room – and leave.

But then she heard the door of the bedroom open with a squeak and the intruder shuffle into the room. Crap, she had left her wand on the bed; they would know she was here. She gripped the side of the bath, unable to tear her eyes away from the bathroom door. The knob rattled and then turned, and the door slowly opened to reveal the last person she wanted to been seen in the bath by.

"Harry!" Ginny screeched in outrage, and she covered her breasts with her hands.

"Oh, gods, I'm sorry! I called your name, but...." He trailed off, his eyes drawn irresistibly to her state of undress, her skin all wet and covered in bubbles – not something an ex-boyfriend should really be privileged to see, considering the way he'd ruthlessly dumped her.

"Get out," Ginny demanded, a pink blush staining her cheeks. This was the most embarrassing moment she could recall, even surpassing the time she'd slipped in the girls' changing room after a game of Quidditch, losing her towel in the process. Why did embarrassing things have to happen to her when she was naked? Only Merlin knew the answer to that.

"Of course, I'm sorry," mumbled Harry. Taking one last lingering look, he shook his head and left the bathroom, closing the door behind him.

Letting out a deep breath, Ginny grabbed her dressing gown and pulled it around her, tying it as tightly as she could around her waist. That had been completely and utterly mortifying – her ex, of all people, walking in on her as she was having a bath – and he'd looked his fill, too, cheeky bastard that he was. It was also quite pitiful that that was the most action she'd had with a bloke since splitting up with Harry two years ago.

She entered the bedroom with her head held high, overlooking the fact that her face was as red as a bright, juicy tomato and trying to ignore the flare of embarrassment that welled up inside her when she spotted Harry sitting on her bed, of all places.

"I think it would be, uh, more comfortable if we were in the living room," Ginny stated and left the room before he could open his mouth to reply.

"I came round to talk about the Malfoy case. I was wondering if you had gotten a chance to look at anything," Harry said as he followed her.

She turned around to stare at him incredulously. "Harry, I just got the files this morning."

"Is that a no, then?" Harry asked as she scowled at him.

"Yes, it's a no. I've been busy all day. I had to write my column for the 11 a.m. deadline while Colin was sending me memos constantly, Imelda found evidence that something dodgy was going on with the W.W.V.S.' money, Padma is a mess after finding out from Colin that her accountant was embezzling money, and to top it all off Colin stunned Imelda and was less than a man about it, and for the last two hours I've been consoling a hysterical witch. So, no, I only got home half an hour ago and all I wanted to do was have a bath, maybe finish off a bottle of cheap wine, and sleep. Which has now all been ruined by you and –" Ginny stopped abruptly and gasped – "you broke my rabbit!"

"I'm sor – wait, what?" Harry asked, completely confused by her outburst.

"The glass rabbit, the one Luna gave to me – well, us – for our third anniversary. I knew you always hated it," Ginny said accusingly as she picked up the small shards of glass and held them to her chest.

Harry looked away uncomfortably. She was right, he had hated the glass rabbit; but for some reason unknown to him she absolutely adored it. Technically his breaking it had been an accident; how was he supposed to know she had rearranged the furniture?

"The coffee table never used to be there," he mumbled in defence.

"It's my flat, Harry. I'm allowed to move things around. Plus everyone else uses the front door," Ginny said, pointedly looking at the door in question. "Maybe if you visited me instead of ignoring me for two years you would know that."

They stared at each other, both of them unsure of what to say. Harry, feeling slightly ashamed of himself, decided to perch on the edge of the armchair. Ginny, on the other hand, went to the kitchen to dispose of what was left of the glass rabbit. She wasn't extremely upset about the rabbit's abrupt end, but she was glad of the excuse to shed a few tears. Everything was so awkward with Harry now. It was his fault, of course, but it didn't stop her from feeling like she'd lost a good friend in the process of all their fights and their subsequent utter acknowledgement of each other. And Lavender was a bit of a bitch to her, which Ginny supposed was another factor of their strained relationship.

She could see Harry standing in the doorway, just watching her and holding the box of files he had given her this morning. Wiping away a stray tear, she turned and gave him a small smile.

"Why did you come here, Harry?"

He sighed and moved into the middle of the kitchen. "I received a visit from Malfoy's lawyer."

Ginny took the box from Harry and placed it on the table. This was turning out to be quite interesting.

"What did he say?"

"He spoke to Malfoy in prison. It seems Malfoy has all of a sudden confessed that the murder weapon wasn't his. Mr Pritchard seems to think Malfoy knows who it belongs to, but he won't tell," Harry said as he took a seat at the table.

"Why not? If he knows, you could investigate and it could lead to him being freed," Ginny said. This was becoming far too intriguing. She filled up the kettle and grabbed two cups from the draining board.

"Well, you see, that's where the problem lies," Harry replied, making Ginny look over at him. "He doesn't want a trial."

"Malfoy doesn't want a trial?" Ginny frowned in confusion. "But who was the anonymous person who sent the letter, then?"

"We can't trace it back to anyone," Harry sighed and ran his hand over his face. "It's so bloody frustrating. Why would someone want to give Draco Malfoy another chance of freedom when he doesn't even want to be bloody freed?"

"This case seems to be all over the place," Ginny said sympathetically and handed him a cup of coffee. She couldn't help but feel sorry for Harry. He was new to the job of Chief Auror and had just been landed with the most complex cases to come out of the War. Malfoy had been on the fence for the whole of the War. The Order of the Phoenix had been watching him closely, waiting for him to make that one wrong move. Even the Death Eaters were waiting for him to go against them so they could kill him and get him out of the way; they couldn't kill him outright when he was so closely related to some of the most powerful Death Eaters in Voldemort's inner circle. But there had been nothing. He never made a wrong move, never said one wrong thing, until that fateful night in the Shrieking Shack.

"Come on, let's get cracking on these." She smiled and scooped up a handful of files.

Harry glanced over at the clock. "We might get lucky and finish by tomorrow morning."

Ginny grinned and opened the first file. "That's it, Harry. Think positive."

Seven cups of coffee each and over twenty files later, Harry was now using his pile as a pillow while Ginny continued to search, determined to find something that didn't seem right.

She reached again for the first file she'd come to in the box and knocked over a jar of something in the process. She read the top line, slightly distracted as she fumbled with the jar, setting it back upright. It was as if she had _Accio_ed it with her mind. She blinked down at the report she was reading; she couldn't seem to decipher the words properly, but she knew that what she was reading was...it was....

**18th September 1999**

**PYSCHIATRIC MEDICAL REPORT BY MIRANDA MINDLY – CHIEF PYSCH-HEALER**

**MEDICAL EXAMINATION**

**Throughout the examination Mr Malfoy shows signs of a stable mind as he answers the routine questions. He is polite and civil; he understands the questions fully and answers them clearly and precisely. Upon examining his mind, I come across two mind blocks, which is not uncommon. These would normally appear due to an injury or an event in childhood that caused great distress. In most cases witches and wizards have approximately four mind blocks, so Mr Malfoy's mind blocks are not unusual in any sense and would only have a 5% chance of contributing to the crimes he is accused of. **

**INTERVIEW 7**

**During the interview Mr Malfoy shows signs of confusion when asked questions relating to the man he claims to have dueled with on the night of the murders. He openly shows his discomfort, which leads me to believe he has a familiarity or a relationship of sorts with the man in question. It could also be seen as a contributing factor of the Blood Oath; possibly this man is a figment of Mr Malfoy's imagination which he thinks is real. There have been several recordings in the past where those who have practised Blood Oaths have seen something or someone in order to protect the Blood Oath in question.**

**As Auror Smith asks about Mr Malfoy's childhood, he is vague with details and visibly uninterested, especially at the mention of his father. It is obvious that the relationship between father and son was strained, but it is quite unusual for someone to be so indefinite and almost unsure of the relationship and facts about their father. Mr Malfoy displays anger and resentment as he speaks openly about growing up and witnessing his parents' cold and distant marriage. He obviously sees himself as a protector of his mother, and when asked what it was he was protecting her from, he fails to answer.**

**When the subject of the two victims is mentioned, Mr Malfoy shows genuine sorrow and becomes closed off. It is obvious that he feels the most deeply distressed by Parvati Patil's death, as if he had a close bond with her, which he denies. **

**In concluding the Pychological Analysis I have performed on Draco Lucius Malfoy, I feel he is of sane mind although he feels extreme emotion with regard to the actions that took place on 13th July 1998. In my opinion Mr Malfoy is telling the complete truth; more information about Blood Oaths should be gathered, and more evidence is needed for the trial on 20th September 1999.**

"Harry! I think I've found something," Ginny said excitedly, her eyes never leaving the page.

Harry jumped. A piece of parchment was stuck to his cheek and his glasses were lopsided. The old Ginny would have though that was endearing, but the new Ginny just stared at him in exasperation.

"Look," she demanded as she thrust the file under his nose.

He obligingly took the file and scoured it quickly, his eyes widening, "She thought he was innocent?"

Ginny nodded with excitement, beaming. "I think you need to pay her a visit. I'm sure she'll still be working, or maybe she's retired, but that won't be a problem."

"She refers to Interview 7. Have we seen interview 7 yet?" Harry asked as he stared at the files they had read through with wide eyes, hoping they wouldn't have to go looking through them again.

Ginny looked from the file to the box and a sudden thought came to her. She rummaged through the box and picked up the glass jar she'd knocked over earlier. "It's not a file, Harry, it's a memory."

Ginny handed him the jar, a grin plastered across her face. Harry took it from her; it was light, as he'd known it would be, and the silvery memory swirled around, not quite gas but not water either. A white label stained with black ink was stuck on the lid: D.L. MALFOY MURDER TRIAL INTERVIEW 7. Peering into the box, he noticed there were a few more memories hidden beneath all those files, which would explain why the box had been heavier than expected.

"This was underneath it. It looks like the Aurors' own opinions on the case," Ginny assumed as she perused the document.

**14th September – Daily Review**

**Draco Lucius Malfoy – Murder Trial**

**The Accused has once again denied ever having relations with the victims. He has become more and more insistent, bordering on aggression at mention of the victims' names and his involvement in their deaths. He continues to acknowledge, with slight hesitation, that the wand found in his possession at the scene of the crime is his own. The wand in question has been tested and was found positive as the murder weapon. Although he continues to deny any involvement in the murders of Patil and Boot, he admits freely that he is in fact a murderer, but refuses to expand on this.**

**Interview 7 will begin tomorrow at 2 p.m. Miranda Mindly, Chief Psych-Witch, and Shona Kaig, Chief of Archives and Records Department, will be in attendance.**

**Provisional Verdict – Guilty**

**Signed,**

**Alan Smith**

**Head Auror of Questioning**

"I would like to know his opinions on Malfoy after Interview 7. It's all quite fascinating, isn't it?" Ginny smiled impishly at Harry. "Are we going to view the memory, or what?"

"Well, I suppose we should," Harry said as he pulled his wand from his pocket. "I'll need a large bowl, preferably without a design on it as it can ruin the memories' visage."

Ginny raised her eyebrows as she got up to find a bowl. "Memories' visage?"

Harry blushed. "Hermione mentioned it once or twice," he mumbled.

Ginny placed the bowl in the middle of the table and stared at Harry expectantly. She watched closely as he unscrewed the jar, gave her a quick look out of the corner of his eye, and then teased the contents into the bowl using the tip of his wand. They both watched as the grayish substance swirled lazily around the white china bowl Ginny used for her cereal in the mornings.

"I've never been in a memory before. How do we do it?" Ginny asked. She was beginning to feel slightly nervous. This would be a new experience for her and she didn't want to screw it up by doing it wrong.

"All we have to do is touch it. I'll go first; just copy what I do," Harry said simply and gave her a reassuring smile.

Ginny didn't smile back. She just stared at Harry as he moved his wand toward the bowl; when the wood touched the grey, swirling substance he was pulled into the memory and out of sight. Ginny gasped. Okay, that wasn't what she'd been expecting. Frowning, she copied what Harry had done and found herself spinning. Slowly she came to a stop; her surroundings were blurry but they gradually became more focused.

She spotted Harry standing next to the interview table, reading a piece of parchment in front of a thin balding man who wore old-fashioned Auror robes. The man must be Alan Smith, Ginny speculated as she wandered over to the table. Next to Auror Smith was a stern looking woman with glasses perched on her long, thin nose. Her stark black hair was pulled into a bun and she was wearing conservative grey robes that hid her figure. She was listening intently to the conversation Auror Smith and the woman on her right were having and writing notes on a piece of parchment every so often. This had to be Shona Kaig of the Archives and Records Department. Ginny turned her attention to the other woman, who was deep in conversation with Auror Smith; this must be Miranda Mindly, the one who believed Draco Malfoy was innocent. She looked extremely young to be a Chief Psych-Witch, with her bouncy curls, full, rosy cheeks, and clear, sparkling blue eyes.

"I don't think this is the best way –"

"It is. He deserves no less. He is a murderer –"

"You haven't proved that yet."

"It is only a matter of time, Miranda."

Their conversation was interrupted by the sound of the door opening. Two Aurors entered the room on either side of a teenage Draco Malfoy.

Harry moved to stand next to Ginny. "It's so strange. He looks so young."

Ginny looked over at Harry. "You were nineteen when you killed Voldemort, Harry. The same age Draco is here." They both turned as Alan Smith began to speak.

"Draco Lucius Malfoy, I once again ask you to drink from the cup in front of you containing Veritaserum. As you know, Veritaserum allows you to speak only the truth. On my right, witnessing the interview and recording it for the purpose of the trial, is Shona Kaig, Chief of Archives and Records Department. Also in attendance, for the psychological analysis required for the final trial, is Miranda Mindly, Chief Psych-Witch of St. Mungo's." Auror Smith's tone was monotonous as he read the words from the sheet of parchment in front of him

Ginny watched as Draco took the cup with steady hands and drank it in one gulp. He put down he cup and stared at the three people in front of him with cold grey eyes.

"Now that the introductions have been made, we may proceed on to the questioning." Smith leant forward. "Mr Malfoy, why were you in the Shrieking Shack on the evening of Saturday 10th July 1999?"

"I received an anonymous owl from someone demanding that I meet them at the Shrieking Shack at 11 p.m.," Malfoy stated clearly.

"Did it not strike you as suspicious that the note was anonymous?"

Malfoy blinked. "No."

"Why not?"

"I had received several notes like it before and recognized the owl that delivered it," Malfoy replied, his voice unwavering.

"Do you know who sent you the note?"

"Yes."

"Mr Malfoy, can you please tell me who sent the note?" Auror Smith asked, trying hard to mask his annoyance.

"No, I have been sworn to secrecy by a Blood Oath," Malfoy replied automatically.

Ginny gasped and looked over at Harry, who was watching the scene before them in awe. This was obviously news to him. Everyone knew that anyone who broke a secret under a Blood Oath would die immediately, but if one of the participants in the Blood Oath died the other would be able to talk freely.

"When was the Blood Oath performed?" Auror Smith asked, his voice carrying a hint of weariness.

"On my seventeenth birthday."

"You have been under the Blood Oath for two years?"

"Yes."

"Draco Malfoy, have you at any time in your life been a Death Eater?"

"No," Draco replied harshly, glaring at Auror Smith with such venom that Ginny shivered.

"Could you please prove this by showing me your forearms?" Auror Smith asked as he scribbled something down on his piece of parchment.

Ginny watched silently as Draco sneered at the three people sitting in front of him and rolled up the sleeves of his black shirt, baring his pale, thin forearms. Ginny, Harry, and the three other occupants of the room all focused on the bright black tattoo staining his right wrist. It wasn't the Dark Mark, it was something else – something that looked decidedly dangerous, Ginny thought as she glanced over at Harry in confusion.

"Harry, what is –"

But Auror Smith began speaking once more, so Ginny stopped and returned her attention to the scene before them.

"Mr Malfoy, can you please explain the tattoo on your wrist?"

"It's a symbol I was given when I took the Blood Oath," Draco replied, pushing down his sleeves.

"Is this a mark of the Dark Lord?"

"No, it's the mark of a killer," Draco said softly, causing Ginny to shake. Draco Malfoy was completely and utterly terrifying. He looked like an angel with his pure white skin, platinum hair, and intense features that made him a delightful sight to behold, but when he spoke he made her insides coil up in fear. He was so blunt and ferocious with his answers.

"Why do you have the mark of a killer on your wrist, Mr Malfoy?" asked Auror Smith, looking Draco straight in the eye.

"Because I am a killer, Auror Smith. It is what I was ordered to do," Draco replied mockingly, leaning further back into his chair and looking quite relaxed.

"Who ordered you to kill, Malfoy?"

"The person who ordered me to kill was the person in charge of sending me those notes and participating in the Blood Oath."

"Were you ordered to kill Terry Boot and Parvati Patil?"

"No."

Auror Smith shook his head and muttered something to Shona Kaig that Ginny couldn't make out. Shona just nodded and continued to write furiously on the scroll of parchment.

"Who were you ordered to kill?"

"I can't tell you that."

Auror Smith rubbed his forehead and sighed. "Why did you kill the people you killed?"

"For money," Draco said simply, shifting his attention to Shona Kaig as she wrote her notes.

"A Malfoy killing for money? That's unheard of. Yours is one of the richest families in Britain. Why would you need money?" scoffed Auror Smith.

Ginny frowned as Draco moved his attention back to Auror Smith. It was unheard of, a Malfoy doing anything for money. They had billions of Galleons in their vaults, everyone knew that. Ginny turned her attention back to Draco, who was looking at Auror Smith as if he was a naughty child.

"Because," Draco said slowly, "my father cut me off and disowned me."

"Do you know why your father decided to take such an action against you?"

"I didn't follow in his footsteps and become a Death Eater, that's why."

"Why did you not want to become a Death Eater?"

"Because I didn't want to kill innocent people for fun," Draco replied, his voice rising slightly.

Ginny could see he was becoming frustrated with the questioning.

"So you killed innocent people for money instead," Auror Smith said forcefully, causing Malfoy to shake his head.

"No, I killed those who deserved it. Those who needed to be killed," Draco insisted, his voice gruff with anger.

"Did Terry Boot and Parvati Patil deserve to be killed?" demanded Auror Smith, rising out of his chair slightly, an action which Ginny knew was intended to intimidate.

"No, they were good, innocent people who should never have been there," Draco said evenly.

"Mr Malfoy, what happened when you arrived at the Shrieking Shack on the night of the murders?" Auror Smith asked. His voice, while still stern, had lost its angry edge.

Draco frowned and shook his head slightly. "Something went wrong. But I can't remember what it was. I've tried…over and over…I've tried to remember what happened, but I can't."

Ginny bit her lip as she watched Draco closely; he looked lost and confused, so much so that she wanted to go over and comfort him.

"Tell us what you remember." The soft feminine voice made Ginny look over at Miranda Mindly, who had been silent and watchful throughout the interview process until now. Ginny could see that Miranda was also concerned for Malfoy as she gave him an encouraging smile.

Malfoy shut his eyes in concentration. "I Apparated into the living room area of the Shrieking Shack; it was always the place where the meetings were held. It was empty. I went into the hallway to take a look around and heard a voice from upstairs. I went onto the landing and saw a flash of blue light coming from one of the bedrooms. I went in and saw Parvati on the bed, clutching her stomach and saying Terry's name over and over. He was lying dead on the floor next to the bed, his hand outstretched like he was trying to hold her. I ran over to her and she screamed at me. She asked me why I would do that to her when I'd told her I loved her. I didn't and still don't understand it. I never had anything to do with her at school. I didn't know her." His voice cracked and he rubbed his eyes with the back of his hand.

"Do you have any idea who she thought you were?" Miranda Mindly asked gently.

"No…I…she did scream at me, called me by some other name…I…I…I honestly can't remember what it was. But it was familiar – Merlin, that doesn't make sense," Draco said furiously.

"It's fine, and it does make sense. What were your intentions when you went to Miss Patil?"

"I wanted to help her; she…she was in pain, holding her stomach and bleeding. I just wanted to help her," Malfoy ended pitifully. "I Flooed for the Healers and Aurors."

"There was a ten-minute delay in getting the authorities to the Shrieking Shack due to wards that were placed around the building. What happened in that time?" Auror Smith asked, reading from a file.

"Well, I think I dueled…I remember dueling with someone." Draco frowned. "He was wearing a dark cloak. I don't know what he looked like. But he was about my height, six-foot-two. And he killed Parvati before he left."

"Draco Malfoy, you were found at the scene of the crime with a wand in your possession." Auror Smith procured a wand from a small black box. "Do you recognize this?"

"Well, yes, that…that...is...my wand?" Draco looked at the wand in confusion.

Ginny looked over at Harry, who was watching the exchange with a frown. Something wasn't right with Malfoy's answers. He looked confused as he was speaking, as if the words were not his own.

"Malfoy, this wand was tested and confirmed as the murder weapon. Does it belong to you?"

"It looks familiar. But I don't know why. I suppose it could be…it is my wand."

"I will ask you once again: did you kill Terrence Boot and Parvati Patil on the night of Saturday, 10th July 1999?"

"No," Draco insisted. "I agree that I am a murderer and I should pay for what I've done, but I never killed Boot or Patil."

"Mr Malfoy, you were found at the scene of the crime holding the murder weapon that you have confirmed as your wand. Your trial will take place on 20th September 1999. Interview 7 terminated at 7:30 p.m. Thank you, Mr Malfoy."

Ginny's vision went blurry, and the scene in front of her lost focus as she began to spin through a mass of grey cloud. She steadied herself as her vision went back to normal and then she was back in her small kitchen, leaning against the dining table. Harry was at the sink pouring himself a glass of water.

"Did Malfoy's answers seem confusing to you?" Harry finally asked once he finished downing the glass of water in two huge gulps.

"It was almost like they were someone else's words," Ginny said, confirming his thoughts.

"I don't like it. Something is connecting him to that wand," Harry said.

"Do you still have the wand?" Ginny asked as she poured the memory back into the jar and closed the lid.

"Of course. Narcissa Malfoy would be able to identify her son's wand, wouldn't she?" Harry asked. It was a long shot, but he had to try something.

"Or Ollivander. He remembers everyone's wands. He would know who the wand belonged to if it was one of his," Ginny pointed out.

"Right, that's what I'll do tomorrow – visit Narcissa Malfoy and Ollivander. What about you?"

Ginny gave a hesitant smile. "I was hoping you could arrange for me to have an interview with Malfoy."

"Sure, just get Malfoy to sign the publicity contract. You'll need to see his lawyer, Mr Pritchard, about that. I'll fill out the other forms for you," Harry said as he picked up the box of files. "I'm going to have to take these back, I'm afraid, because what we've found will need thorough investigation by more Aurors, but I'll get my assistant to make copies for you."

"Okay. Let me know how the visits go –"

"You could come with me," Harry interrupted quickly.

Ginny opened her mouth, then closed it, not quite sure what she wanted to do. "Uhm, well, I suppose it would be good coverage."

Harry smiled. "Great, it's a date."

He Apparated out of her kitchen with a pop, leaving her quite disconcerted. She hoped he wouldn't see this as a bonding opportunity for them; it was strictly business to her. As far as she was concerned that's all it could be between them now: just business.

* * *

A/N - Many thanks to my beta, Mamacita! Please read and review, ta muchly. :) xxx


End file.
